Lightning Acquire Goaltender Cedrick Desjardins From Montreal

TAMPA BAY, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL parent club of the Norfolk Admirals, have acquired goaltender Cedrick Desjardins (SEHD-rihk deh-ZHAHR-dai) from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goaltender Karri Ramo, Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced today. Desjardins, a 2010 AHL All-Star, led the American Hockey League in goals-against average last season while going 29-9-2 with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

"We are happy to be able to add Cedrick to the Lightning today," said Yzerman upon making the announcement. "With his American Hockey League experience, he will provide excellent goaltending depth for the organization, allowing us to be patient while Dustin Tokarski and Jaroslav Janus further mature and develop."

Desjardins, 6-foot, 194-pounds, has played in 90 career AHL games, recording a 49-27-5 record, 2.34 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. He has played all his AHL games with the Hamilton Bulldogs, including career-highs last season for games played with 45, wins with 29, minutes with 2,576, shutouts with six, goals-against average with 2.00 and tied his best for save percentage with .919.

Last season he led the AHL in goals-against average, ranked second in shutouts, fourth in wins and was tied for sixth in save percentage. His success earned him an appearance in the 2010 AHL All-Star Classic, in which he was named top goaltender during the skills competition, as well as landed him on the 2010 AHL Second All-Star Team following the season.

Desjardins has also played in 66 career ECHL games, all with the Cincinnati Cyclones, posting a 40-23-3 recording a .908 save percentage. During the 2008 ECHL playoffs he was named the finals MVP and won the Kelly Cup. Desjardins was also named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team in 2007.

A native of Edmunston, New Brunswick, Desjardins played in 128 QMJHL games with the Rimouski Oceanic and Quebec Remparts during his junior career, posting a 67-47-4 record. In 2006, he helped backstop Quebec to the CHL’s Memorial Cup by posting a 3-1 record with a .926 save percentage en route to being named top goaltender and to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team. Desjardins also aided the Oceanic, along with Sidney Crosby, to the 2005 Memorial Cup where they fell to the London Knights.

Desjardins went undrafted and was signed as a free agent by Montreal on March 7, 2008.